Overview
- IMD data show Uttarakhand recorded no rain in December and so far in January, Himachal Pradesh saw its sixth-lowest December rainfall since 1901, and Jammu & Kashmir had very little precipitation.
- IMD experts say this season’s western disturbances were shallow, moisture-poor and tracked farther north, limiting snowfall in Uttarakhand and reducing overall winter precipitation.
- Forecasts point to a western disturbance around January 23 that could bring mountain snow and rain to the plains, with IMD also flagging an earlier, lighter spell around January 18–20.
- Forest Survey of India reports more than 1,700 satellite fire alerts in Uttarakhand since November 1, though officials verified 119 true incidents and say most were small and quickly contained.
- Uttarakhand’s agriculture department estimates 15–20% crop losses in several districts, and glaciologists warn sustained low snowfall could push glacier mass balance negative and raise lake-outburst risks.